HOWL TO BREAK THE MOONLIT NIGHT.

Almost instinctively, Solaris raised his left hand for Ace to high-five. Call it a basketball club reflex. “Leaving right away would be a waste. Perhaps this ghost was guarding key clues as to where the magestone is.” He commented, looking at Jack as he also heard the chirp of birds. Before he could say anything he felt himself being transported, yet again, to another area of the ghost realm. Though he couldn’t quite make out where they were now, at first.

The fog almost seemed to dance unnaturally, giving him a glimpse of a long-forgotten ship, not too far off from where they were currently. He began walking towards it, with caution. After all, they had walked right into the librarian ghost’s hands, quite literally.

“This ship looks like it could fall apart at any moment. Let us proceed with caution. We have already sustained injuries from our last encounter.”

Next: @cardhearted

     “Thanks for not leaving me hanging, unlike some people.” the redhead said, quickly glancing at Jack who was looking through one of the many books surrounding them. Ace was able to catch a twinkle of a mirror shard that was situated between its pages, before his surroundings changed once more. 

     His nostrils were met with a whiff of salty air, and his ears with the distant sound of waves. It took him a moment before he followed the rest of the group, trying to adjust to the new area. “All this teleporting is making my stomach turn…” he mutters, taking note of Solaris’ cautionary tone. The wood under their feet creaked as they ventured deeper inside, causing the first-year to feel uneasy. “This doesn’t sound goo-” he attempts to comment on a particular sound, but is cut off by wood cracking beneath them. 

BEING ON A PIRATE SHIP should not have been such a bad outcome — after reading plenty of stories in his youth about the bandits of the sea, he was fond of them. exploring what was likely a true, sunken ship, there was some excitement behind his previously defeated eyes. it didn't last long, ears perking up to the sound of snapping wood. beneath their feet no less, it seemed that with all of the water damage, it couldn't possibly hold the living. crashing down into the lower levels, all they could do was pick themselves up & continue onwards. brushing off dusty, splintered wood from his uniform. " we can't catch a break. "

the area beneath the deck was void of the ghost realm's natural moonlight, leaving their entire team in darkness. jack's eyes adjusted quickly, before he was off of the ground. though, there wasn't much to see. no split paths, no decisions to be made, just one straight, dark tunnel, through the depths of the ship. " no point in stoppin' now. i'm gunna check it out. " keep up, or be left in the dust.

Well, this was going splendidly….

He glanced at Jack, noting his expression and gave him a quick nod and a small smile of encouragement. “It is not over yet. Next time.”

Between Ace and Davaa’s sparkler show and Jack trying to punch the thing, it seemed as if the entire team was cursed to do very little damage. At this rate, the ghost would end them all if someone didn’t do something. Unfortunately, Solaris was also subjected to this curse.

Solaris rolled an 11 and 5 for damage: It hit for .5 damage

Librarian Ghost rolled a 17 and 8 for damage and hit for 1 damage

Solaris finished his turn with 4 HP

Librarian Ghost HP: 1.5/5

He clicked his tongue in disappointment as his spell did not quite get the power to back it up, barely harming the ghost, though he had little time to be annoyed as it made a follow-up attack this time, causing him to take a few steps back from the force of it.

“The ghost is on its last legs, Ace. Take it down!”

Next up: @cardhearted

     It seemed as thought the librarian ghost was tougher than it initially appeared, dealing far more effective blows to his team than vice versa. If someone didn't take care of it any time soon, the situation could take a turn for the worst. With a sudden wave of confidence and determination, Ace sprung forward ready for his next attack. "On it!"

ACE rolls 16 & 17 for DAMAGE: 2 DMG HIT! 

CRITICAL HIT!

LIBRARIAN GHOST HP: 0 HP

     This time his magic pen erupted with flames that were far greater than the pathetic excuse of a spell from earlier. In mere seconds, the ghost was consumed by the fire and its silhouette disappeared from their sight. 

LIBRARIAN GHOST DEFEATED!

     "Yeah! We did it team!" he proclaims triumphally, going for a high five with the closest victim person to him. "Not too shabby for a rookie, huh? Anyway, let's get going before more of these things show up." 

WITH THE GHOST DEFEATED, a silence fell over the library. seemingly safe for the time being, he couldn't bring himself to answer any of trappola's gloating; knowing that he had been the first to make error in battle. instead, taking it upon himself to further inspect the books in front of them. reaching out to grab one out of the air, jack blew dust off of it's cover; unearthing the words THUMPER as the title.

opening the book didn't ring any alarms in his head, not at first. the moment the pages were shown to him, there was a blaring issue with the book: it had no words. instead, he was able to hear what the book's name might have implied: the thumping of a rabbit's feet against fresh grass, birds crying against the wind, the unmistakable smell of flowers to his nose — his first reaction to lift the book, looking for signs of any of this existing in the spirit realm. turning the pages further, a shiny item caught his eye, touching it on reflex; the world began to change around them.

WARP: THE GHOST SHIP COVE.

Can't say he was all too thrilled to be foisted into the fray by this small, sassy child. But at least he was more lively than the other two. Davaa watched the pathetic display of a dying sparkler when the red - headed devil called for him to attack like some sort of (Twisted Wonderland branded) Pokemon.

" Alright. "

DAVAA rolled a [ 20 to hit ]

He whips out his pen, smoothly twirling it with his long fingers before outstretching his arm to point the ghoul right in the chest.

and [ 3 for damage. ]

The same attack was preformed that Ace had just done. Small sparks and all. He twirls the pen again, dramatically, before jamming it back into his pants pocket as if it were a holster.

LIBRARIAN GHOST misses it's attack!

LIBRARIAN GHOST HP: 2

A smooth dodge out of the way of it's horrible, clammy hands. " Okay your turn again Ace. "

HIS OWN ATTACK COMES ON REFLEX, forgetting to consider the spectral natural of their enemy as he goes for his self - proclaimed most reliable weapon — his fists.

JACK HOWL rolled a [ four ] and MISSES.

reeling his fist back, aiming for the face of their enemy, an expression of pure surprise overtakes his features when his flesh goes through the ghost's transparent being. stunned, he's unprepared for the counter.

LIBRARIAN GHOST rolled a [ twelve ] and HITS.

LIBRARIAN GHOST rolled a [ nine ] for ONE HP DAMAGE.

stumbling back from the attack, jack's eyes meet the first one of his teammates that he can find — solaris. " sorry, blew it. " he huffed. struggling to shake off the sting of making the worst move yet out of his group. sometimes, instincts do fail. learning the valuable intel that it was true, you could in fact not punch a ghost. next time, he would have to be faster on the draw.

JACK HOWL finishes with FOUR HP.

LIBRARIAN GHOST finishes with TWO HP.

it was a system akin to a food chain. some would always remain on top, while others suffered at the bottom. thus was the carnal nature of NRU.

ortho himself was growing more and more agitated by the second. he was working on borrowed time and yet he was being made to grovel as entertainment for these meat heads??

desperation filled, he’d swing at the student holding his headphones high above only to be met with a quick dodge follow by cocky laughter.

the soft features of the android’s face would hold a grimace, all until a sudden action. jack howl, taking a step in! ortho was admittedly…confused. he didn’t have enough energy preserved to process this all properly.

it was only when he glanced between the first year and the two delinquents did he truly grasp it. both of them looked nervous, small beads of sweat clung against their forehead like dewdrops.

❝ hey, no trouble here! just messing around y'know. ❞ real cool, trying to play it off.

at least they had common sense, in a way. with jack’s strong build, trying to fool around with him in such a way would be foolish. he wouldn’t really hurt them… but they didn’t know that did they?

ortho then directed his attention to jack, closely eyeing his dangling headphones. he wouldn’t reach for them quite yet.

BEST COURSE OF ACTION TENDED TO BE NOT TO GET INVOLVED — jack had learned this lesson time & time again. each time that he would stick his nose where it didn't belong, it bred trouble. that still applied when the situation at hand was childish, schoolyard bullying. not even their prestigious academy was clean of immature affairs, the headmage's wishes for them to act like model students would fail to reach the ears of those who were unwilling to listen. trying to act the part of the hero tended to only fuel worse bullying, for both parties. he was no stranger to having his own fair share of issues, for different reasons all together.

Why is everyone so mean to him? He did nothing wrong! It was obvious there was no one else around living or otherwise. And he was just about to make a very astute comment about why there's stained glass in an entirely monochrome world. But now everyone has been miraculously transported elsewhere. Again. Davaa didn't let the jeers of his peers get to him though, nonchalantly turning his chin upwards to scan the landscape before them.

"Lame." a mumble. He moves to right, latching onto Solaris' arm in a teasing display of helplessness, "See? We get a do over! You don't haveta' be so grumpy, Jackie's got that covered." - before detaching himself and giving the other a firm slap on the back. "Speaking of, I think Jack should lead the way here. If anyone is gonna see or hear odd shit it's him."

AND SOMEHOW IT CIRCLED BACK TO HIM. his sense of leadership had yet to fail, even in the change of scenery, hardly feeling disorientated with the shift at this point. it was becoming the difference of stepping through a doorway. ignoring their quarrels, he walked towards the castle doors like a man possessed - knowing that this was what they had come there for. it wasn't about deciding who would lead the pack, or who was in charge; it was about finding the magestone. if jack had to make a guess, this was as good of a start as any other. being led there by the dimension brought natural suspicion, wondering if it was apt to help them, or lead them astray.

pushing open the doors with an eerie howl, it wasn't an entrance hall that they were met with, but instead a library. " you guys are seein' this too - right? " he asks out, to no one in particular. his eyes are following the books, not holding a position on the shelves, but instead floating across the halls. tilting his head up, his ears pressing down with the motion, he stares at flames in the sky - the only light source within the entire room; following the same route as the books, as if invisible strings were pulling them.

“Yikes.”

Yikes is right. He wasn’t even prepared to fight ghosts with his own team, now he’s gotta battle the ghoul realm with this guy, that kid, and Jack. Davaa’s deadpan exclamation of dread and frustration did little to portray he was actually perturbed. He was at least 2% perturbed.

The following deep sigh did more to get across the exhaustion. He scratched the back of his head, then craning his neck to survey his immediate surroundings. More tacky architecture. Super! 

THE SUDDEN SWITCH UP DOESN'T DAMPER HIS MOOD - no issue with the matter of a team when the concept of teamwork holds little weight. in his mind there might be an idea of the value, but the execution goes painfully amiss; thinking that by handling his own right, he was doing what was best for the group. because clearly, someone had to be the responsible one.

the initial monochromatic scheme of the world is not very startling to him, wondering if it's just him - or if this is a sight that is shared by his teammates. after the brief taste of this world he had in the halls of the school, jack is relieved to have no accompanying smells to make him crinkle his nose up in disgust.

though, what does bring him a surprise is the sudden yell from his dormmate - ears perking up & tilting rapidly to match each location his voice echoes from off the walls. it's disorientating to say the least. " so much for not lettin' the whole place know we are here. "

                        “  grrrrr.  ”    —    jack  grrrrred.  / @cardhearted​

     The low sound that came from the beastman’s throat was more than enough to startle the red-head. Despite being conscious of Jack’s subtle differences ( namely consisting of animal ears and a tail ), Ace proved to be narrow-minded at times when it came to some aspects about Jack. Though, there was one thing he knew for sure — that growl didn’t exactly sound the friendliest. 

THEIR GAME OF CARDS HAD ENDED QUICK, a little too quickly for his tastes. when it came to playing these games with someone as tricky as ace - he could practically smell the cheating from the other half of the table. watching as his opponent perked up at the sound he made, he was fully prepared to start with his accusations, uncaring to let him goad him into whether or not his growl was up to par.

INFILTRATION PREPARATION!

Each defense team, under the decree of Headmage Crowley, has been given a week to prepare for infiltrating the Ghost Dimension. Bond with your team and fellow residents of Ramshackle Dormitory as you prepare for infiltration, or spend the time investigating circumstances around campus. A week hardly gives any time to prepare; choose your next actions wisely.

DEFENSE EXAM TEAMS. 

[ SPAR ]   -  Test your skills through an organized practice match with a classmate. 

[ DISAGREE ]  -  Have a disagreement with a member of your appointed Defense Exam Team,  whether you are able to mediate this is up to you! 

[ TAG ]  -  Recreate a ghost chase. Sender chases the receiver around to help them practice escaping from an enemy.

[ CHASE ]  - Start chasing after what you believe is an “apparition”,  only to be disappointed.  

[ WARP ]  -  Get warped across campus alongside the receiver.  Neither of you are able to figure out the cause of your sudden appearance in a new location.   

[ TRAPPED ] - Explore a closet with the receiver,  only to find that the door has closed,  and the two of you are now trapped inside.  

[ ARSON ]  - Play with fire together. 

[ MISHAP ] - Have a spell go wrong during practice, either causing damage to campus grounds or to your  own team. 

[ PIECE ]  - Create a pair of communication mirrors together,  preparing for the upcoming excursion. 

[ CHARM ]  - Craft protection charms together, hoping for some good luck to come your way. 

[ RATIONS ] -  Prepare emergency rations to ready yourselves for the excursion. 

SNEAKING AROUND AFTER CURFEW. 

[ RAID ]  - Scavenge the campus after hours for any potential supplies for your ‘trip’.

[ BREAK - IN ] - Break into the school’s dorms, checking to see the status with the poor weather and destruction. 

[ TRESPASS ] - Break into Night Raven University’s faculty area with the receiver,  hoping to find clues.  

[ MIRROR ] - Break into the mirror hall with the receiver to see where it can take you. 

[ LEAVE ]  -  Make an attempt to leave campus alongside the receiver,  only to find out that you cannot.  

[ PATROL ] - To make rounds patrolling the campus at night with the receiver,  keeping your eyes out for any suspicious activity.

INTERROGATE YOUR PEERS.

Communication is a vital component to success. Retrace the events that have occurred across campus in order to size your enemy and evaluate the state of affairs on campus. Each of your peers have had at least one encounter with the opposing forces. Only a fool would choose to embark into the ghost realm blindly– Be prepared. 

Click here for a comprehensive timeline of events.

NOTE: Some clues are locked behind certain muses.  Each muse can only answer a question twice. If a third person were to approach with the same question, the answerer will not be able to respond and the inquirer will have to select a different muse from the category to question.  

WATCHING IN AWE AT HER COMPLETE SET UP,   it almost looked like she was packed  ready  to hit the gym with him  —   unlikely  though,   he was wiser than to believe that bag was packed with a change of clothes  &  sneakers.   no,  her  declaration  was more than enough of a hint as to what she was packing;   an assortment of accessories that to his eyes,  the colors weren’t as  vibrant  as most,   but the patterns  &  glitz were not lost.   most of the accessories,   he couldn’t   help  but wonder how yuyu was going to try  &  get them to stay with hair as short as his own.    she had plenty of hair to stack all of her accessories in  —   and man,  she really stacked them in there,    his own hair wasn’t as forgiving.   it was  thick,   ideal for clips;   but if she tried to put a  scrunchie  around his ears,   he wasn’t going to be amicable to the feeling.  “  don’t say it like that,   i  didn’t  agree to any of this anyways.  ”   arms already crossed over his chest,    and  yet his eyes were still on the bounty in front of him.   a couple hair clips may have come in use to keep his bangs out of his face;   that much,   he could agree on.  her ability to go overboard with accessories was unlike any other.  the moment that he gave in for  one barrette,    he was giving into ten.